Saudi Arabia … Super-talented Scot Grant Forrest is determined to celebrate a career best finish on the Tour heading into the final round at the Saudi International.
Forrest, 26 was toasting Friday in making it five halfway cuts in succession in a new season for a first time in his career as he edges ever-closer to a maiden European Tour triumph thanks to swing changes introduced by new coach, Liam James.
The Craigielaw star again showed the worth of his work with James posting a second straight Saudi International score of 66 to move to five-under and now heads into the final round sharing 10th place as he seeks to better his best result of T4th earlier this 2019/20 season i the Mauritius Open.
Scotland’s Grant Forrest points the way off the 17th tee on day three Saudi Invitational & his 100th Tour event (Photo – Exclusive @tourmiss)
Former US, Scottish, Wales, Italian and double French Open winner Graeme McDowell birdied the last also in a round of 66 to seize a one-shot lead at 12-under par on the Royal Greens course laid out along the Red Sea.
It’s been some five-and-a-half years since McDowell last won on the European Tour in capturing a second straight French Open title in 2014, and the last time he led going into a final round was sharing the third day lead a year earlier in Versailles.
Forrest, and a former Crail Battle Trophy champ, picked-up four birdies in his opening 11 holes and while dropping shots at 14 and 15, the Scot the break of all breaks at the par-3 16th and stunningly laid-out along the Red Sea shoreline.
He said: “My tee shot at 16 (7-iron) looked good all the way and was coming back in a bit right-to-left on the wind but with my putt then coming to rest right on the edge.
“I then heard someone say ‘unlucky’ but then it dropped.
“The 16th has caused a bit of trouble this week as I doubled it on day one and then dropped a shot yesterday, so to see the ball drop today is one of those are the sort of breaks you can get when you are playing well but it all evens out over time but the birdie was a nice one to get.”
Scot Grant Forrest looking to secure his best Tour finish in his 100th overall Tour touranment. (Photo @tourmiss)
Forrest made his Tour debut one month into his 19th birthday in teeing-up in the 2012 Open Championship, and with this week’s Saudi event his 46th on the main Tour while he’s teed-up in 44 on the secondary Challenge Tour.
The Scot had worked for many years with Jonathon Porteous, who continues to be the Head of Golf at Craigielaw before Forrest was introduced to James, who works under Robert Rock, who now splits his time playing and coaching.
Forrest and James began working at the end of last year and clearly have gelled well with the Scot making it five cuts from as many events for a first occasion in all 90 Tour events he’s contested
Forrest said: “This is as good as I’ve felt since coming onto the Tour and with the changes that Iain and I have brought into my game over the past six-months are starting to take effect.
“I just feel more comfortable over the ball. It’s now just a case of how well I putt while my short-game maybe needs to take that next little step.
“Since the start of this season I have been playing every weekend and everything is trending in the right direction, so I am happy with that.
“The timing of the changes has also worked well as I sort of expected a bit of rough patch while we were undertaking the work at the end of last season. It is frustrating when you are trying to play and it’s not there. I found myself thinking of a lot of technical stuff when you are just trying to get the ball round in the least number of strokes.
“I took that longer-term view when I went into undergoing the changes and it’s starting to pay-off now.”
